Chapter 27

At the heart of Remnant Academy lies the main building, responsible for actual lectures.

The main building consists of three main lecture halls arranged in a “ㄷ” shape and a vast outdoor training ground.

The main lecture halls conduct theoretical education in magic studies, knight combat, and common subjects, while the outdoor training ground in front hosts sparring and practical training.

Today is the first day of enrollment, so in the morning, a simple free sparring session will be held for new students to assess their skills.

In the afternoon, students will be divided by department to begin basic lectures for each department.

I headed to the training ground with Nigel, exchanging trivial chatter along the way.

In the distance, at the front of the vast training ground, groups of new students in uniforms of various sizes were lined up in three groups.

60 knight department students in black uniforms with light protective gear, carrying spears, axes, or swords.

60 magic department students in the same black uniforms with short purple capes over their shoulders, holding daggers or small wands.

And 30 religious department students in white ceremonial robes adorned with the symbols of their respective orders.

A total of 150 people gathered in the middle of the training ground, chatting amongst themselves.

I headed to the very back row of the knight department students with Asha.

The murmuring new students noticed us and turned their gazes toward us in unison.

The looks they gave me were no different from during the entrance exam.

Disgust, contempt, discomfort, rejection, suspicion, fear.

…It’s more bearable than I thought.

Thanks to my prior resolve, I could handle their gazes well enough.

Does this mean I’ve grown, or just become numb?

Either way, it was a necessary change.

At least now, I don’t feel short of breath, my hands trembling, or my feet stopping.

Instead, the mental urge to draw my sword and crush those arrogant eyes was harder to suppress.

The murmurs of the new students reached my ears.

“Is that her? The savage… the one who eats people?”

“The Dane Slaughterer, the Ka`har harlot… I can’t believe the rumors about her being a special admission student are true…!”

“What was the Margrave of Randenburg thinking, bringing a Ka`har here……”

“Look at her face. Are those really human eyes…?”

“The half-breed girl next to her is pretty cute, though.”

“Even the knights of Dane couldn’t stop her. Is that true?”

Most of it was trivial, so I ignored it.

I only made a mental note of the guy who called me a harlot and the one eyeing Asha.

Calling a girl half his height “pretty cute” is a bit creepy, don’t you think?

“You’re popular, Halshal.”

“Can you really call this popularity? It’s infamy.”

“Infamy is still fame, right? At least it proves you’re strong. We’re so closed off that we rarely get noticed.”

Asha shook her head regretfully.

“Asha, do you want to be famous or something?”

“Yes. If my name spreads across the Empire, my potential customers will increase. It’ll be a great opportunity to showcase the Red Copper Clan’s craftsmanship.”

Potential customers? Are you planning to do business with the Empire?

“Craftsmanship? Are you planning to sell proper goods? Is that even allowed to the Empire?”

As far as I know, demi-humans monopolize advanced technology among themselves and don’t share it externally.

I’ve heard that even trade with the South only exports simple swords, armor, and crafts, never advanced products.

“Lately, there’s been talk about it in Himmell too. I’ll tell you more if you visit my room later.”

Asha stopped talking as we arrived at the group of knight department freshmen.

I guess she’s saying to come visit if I’m curious.

…Maybe I’ll make time to check it out.

Standing at the very back, I glared sharply at the freshmen who kept glancing at me.

If you have something to say, say it outright.

Aspiring knights, whispering and giving dirty looks?

Not very knightly, is it?

The freshmen who met my eyes flinched and turned their heads forward.

Right. They’re just freshmen. Little sprouts.

It’d be foolish to care about their reactions.

Ah, I made eye contact with Knut.

…Of course, he’s here.

Knut, with his tightly sealed lips and deeply sunken eyes, was stroking his axe handle while staring intently at me.

His expressionless face carried a heavy intent.

It felt like he might raise his axe and charge at me any second.

Is he going to attack? Surely not here?

Without realizing it, my hand rested on my sword hilt.

My fingers tightened, slowly wrapping around the hilt.

Tension flowed down my spine.

Suddenly, Knut turned his head away.

As if he had no intention of fighting now.

The tension drained, and my right arm dropped.

I let out a sigh without realizing it.

Right. Even he wouldn’t start a fight here.

Asha, who had been quietly glancing at me, turned her head back and began observing the freshmen with interest.

She never misses a moment when a fight might break out.

I brushed it off and took a closer look at the freshmen.

Most are just average, but there must be some important characters for the story.

Let’s see…

In the religious department, Edgar with the brown bowl cut. He’ll be a decent paladin later.

The girl with pink curly hair, Rana. A healer specialized in recovery rather than buffs.

In the magic department, there’s no one notable besides Ophelia.

Well, she ranked 4th in the entrance exam with just casually cast spells, so those below her aren’t worth noting.

As for the knight department…

Yeah, Damien’s definitely the main character here.

I turned my head to look at the bright blonde hair standing at the front of the group.

Not quite a boy, but not yet a fully mature young man either—a handsome sixteen-year-old with a bit of youth still showing. The perfectly fitted black academy uniform gave off a refined vibe, making him quite the dashing figure. The girls around him, enchanted by his gentle smile, were blushing slightly as they gazed at him.

I couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed looking at him.

Typical protagonist energy. Doesn’t matter if they’re nobles or commoners, he’s got them all wrapped around his finger. If charm were a stat, he’d probably be at 90.

Too bad this world doesn’t have stat windows or anything like that.

Damien was chatting with a green-haired girl his age standing next to him. She was the one mostly initiating the conversation, while Damien just smiled and gave short replies.

That’s probably Milia, right? The childhood friend who followed him to the academy, aspiring to be a knight.

From what I remember, she was just average. No matter how much she trained her swordsmanship, she never reached even the level of a regular knight. And yet, she still had a bad ending event.

Eventually, she realized she could never keep up with Damien, spiraled into despair, and ended up corrupted. After her fall, she became a dark mage and popped up as an enemy with a bow.

I’ll have to keep an eye on her too.

—

Not long after, a man walked up onto the review platform.

He had a sturdy build, dressed in an Imperial Army officer’s uniform, and looked to be in his late thirties. His hair, streaked with gray, was neatly combed back, and his thick eyebrows, as wide as an index finger, formed a straight line beneath his marble-like forehead.

A small scar cut diagonally through his left eyebrow, and deep wrinkles under his eyes stretched down near his cheeks. He wore an officer’s longsword at his waist.

The man on the platform looked down at the new students and spoke.

“Silence.”

His voice was low and quiet, yet carried a strong authority. The new students immediately stopped their chatter and stared at him, holding their breath. Satisfied with the quiet, the man continued.

“Welcome to Remnant Academy. I am Professor Kal-lain Fernandez, your instructor for the Close Combat course.”

Kal-lain, huh? Since he’s wearing an officer’s uniform and not a knight’s, he’s probably not an Imperial Knight but a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Army.

Kal-lain turned his head, scanning the new students, then spoke again.

“As you’ve lined up here today, the world has various combat professions—vanguards, magicians, priests, holy knights, archers, and more. The Close Combat course is designed to help you understand the combat characteristics of these professions and learn appropriate countermeasures for each.”

So basically, it’s about teaching warriors how to fight magicians, magicians how to handle priests, and so on. Even within the same profession, combat styles can differ, so that’ll likely be part of the curriculum too.

“I understand that you’re all excited about passing the entrance exam and meeting your peers for the first time. However, Remnant Academy’s goal is to train you into knight-level combatants capable of solo deployment within a year. Right now, at best, you’re fledgling knights. During my lectures, don’t expect much time for fun and games.”

His attitude was consistently strict, like a soldier. The new students’ expressions stiffened, likely due to Kal-lain’s demeanor.

“If you understand, we’ll proceed directly to practical training. If you want time to introduce yourselves, save it for after the lecture.”

Kal-lain smiled slightly, seemingly satisfied, and took a step closer.

“As previously announced, this morning will consist of free sparring among the new students. This is your chance to assess your own level and observe your peers’ abilities. Any questions?”

“I have a question! When you say free sparring, does that mean we can choose anyone as our opponent?”

A cheeky-looking male student raised his hand. I think he’s the one who was earlier talking about how Asha looked pretty good.

The student glanced over at us—mostly at Asha.

“As long as your opponent agrees, anyone is fine. I recommend sparring with someone unfamiliar to you, so you can learn their characteristics firsthand.”

With Kal-lain’s permission, the student nodded with a grin.

Is he planning to spar with Asha? He’s probably going to regret that.

I silently wished him luck, knowing what was about to happen.

“Then, I’ll give you 20 minutes. Use this time to talk and find suitable sparring partners. Since this is the first lecture, those who lack confidence in their skills or can’t find a partner are allowed to sit out and observe. Dismissed.”

At Kal-lain’s words, the new students scattered in small groups, looking around at each other.

Who should I spar with? Asha’s a bit much, so maybe I should go find Damien?

…I’ll avoid Knut for now. This probably won’t end with just a spar.